Is that a deal?
by roxygoth
Summary: While giving a talk at the local university Scrooge meets Gyro Gearlose. AKA: How Gyro ended up working for Scrooge McDuck.


**Hey! I'm back, this time with a story focusing on Gyro and Scrooge. Obviously we know Gyro is working for Scrooge in the new series – and the old one for that matter – but how was he hired?**

 **The university I've made up.**

 **So this takes place shortly after whatever happened to Della happened. So there's no Donald and no Boys.**

 **I do not own Ducktales 2017, 87 or any associated characters.**

This was the last thing Scrooge felt like doing, but as a man of his word he was here. Here at the University of Future Technology ready to give a speech to the school leavers about how to make it in business.

"I'm so pleased you've found time to make it, Mr McDuck." The head of the institution said, smarmily.

Scrooge grunted in response, already regretting his decision.

Donald had left him to his own devices after…the incident. He'd taken the boys with him, with the sworn promise he'd never see them or him again. That was two months ago and since that moment Scrooge hadn't left the manor.

He'd received the request to do this six weeks ago, and had pointedly ignored it. Unfortunately Mrs Beakley had found it and accepted on his behalf. She only told him about it last week.

"There is no way I am going to do any kind of speech!" Scrooge had said, furiously.

"Mr McDuck, you haven't left the manor in six weeks. I do understand why, of course I do, but you can't stay here forever. It's not healthy."

"I doon't care! I'm noot going and you can't make me!"

"Mr McDuck?"

Scrooge blinked back into reality. The head of institute was looking at him earnestly. "Sorry, what?" He said.

To which the head of institute repeated. "I said I'm so sorry about what happened to your niece-"

"Ah, where's the hall?" Scrooge snapped, turning on his heel and heading off in the wrong direction. He hated pity.

Fifty minutes later Scrooge stomped out the hall scowling over the sound of applause in the distant.

The head of the institute met him outside. "You did a brilliant job, Mr McDuck."

Scrooge glared. "Oh shuddup." He went to call Launchpad but stopped just as he was putting the phone near his ear. Why was he rushing back to an empty house? As Mrs Beakley kept reminding him, this was the first time he'd been out the house forever. Why shouldn't he walk round the place a bit? Launchpad could wait. "You don't mind if I walk round the place a bit, do you? Thank you." With that he set off down the corridor.

Fifteen minutes later and he was regretting his decision, or at least regretting leaving the Head behind. Where was he now?

Muttering under his breath, annoyed at himself for being a stubborn old git he rapped at the nearest door.

A young man opened the door and scowled at him. "What do you want?"

Scrooge narrowed his eyes, but said somewhat politely. "I wonder young man, if you could tell me how I leave this place?"

"Through the exit." Was the reply, and the young man went to close the door.

Scrooge stuck his cane in the door to stop it fully closing. "I gathered that, young man. What I meant was how do I find the exit?"

The young man frowned, and looked back over his shoulder. "Er…look it's quite a distance. It's be easier for me to show you."

"Very well. Let's go then."

The young man folded his arms. "Don't be stupid. I'm in the middle of a highly demanding experiment. I can't just leave it. But it's nearly finished so, if you wouldn't mind waiting five minutes then I can show you out."

Scrooge paused, weighing up his options before sighing and saying. "Very well then, laddy."

"My names not 'laddy' it's Gyro Gearloose."

"And ah'm Scrooge McDuck." Said duck held his hand out. Gyro looked at it, pushed his glasses higher up on his beak and grudgingly shook his hand.

"Come in then." Gyro said, bluntly holding the door open a bit wider.

Scrooge raised an eyebrow, normally when he introduced himself he noted people usually went out their way to be polite to him. This young man however didn't seem to be bothered. "How old are you, la-Gyro?"

"Twenty-one. I'll be graduating in two weeks."

Scrooge nodded, and then realised something. "But if you're graduating then shouldn't you have been at my speech? It was for the school leavers after all."

"I told you, I was finishing this. Genius doesn't just happen overnight you know. It requires hard work."

Scrooge found himself impressed by this statement. It wasn't often that young people had an understanding of hard work. They just expected everything to happen now and to the best possible outcome. They didn't understand that most of the time you had to MAKE the best outcome. So it was with tjose thoughts in mind that he asked. "So what is this…contraption then?"

"It's a robot that's designed to be a helper for severely disabled people and their family's. You notice how tall it is? The height is just above that of your standard wheelchair, so it's the right height and strength to push the chair for an exhausted family member."

"Surely the parent could push it themselves?" Scrooge asked, running his eyes over the invention. At this moment it was basically a mental shell.

"When they're forty and the child's eleven, maybe. What about when the child's sixty and they're eighty? Strength goes as you get older, you must be aware of that."

Scrooge glared. "Thanks."

"That's where the robots come in. They'll be designed as fairly goofy looking, with suits and things so people in the street will stay away from them."

"Interesting. And how long do you think this…what did you call it?"

"They're Cogs."

"Cogs?"

"Cogs. I don't know what it stands for yet, but all going to plan it should take…hmm. Three to four years? Five at a push. I should point out I plan for there to be five of them."

"Interesting." Scrooge said again. "When did you say you graduate again?"

"Two weeks' time, Mr McDuck."

"Uh-huh. And what's your degree in?"

"Engineering Psychology."

"You hope to pass?"

"I do."

"With a 2:1?"

"Of course." Gyro sounded smug.

"And what do you plan to do after that? After you graduate I mean."

"Try to find a job somewhere, I suppose. Not that it'll be easy in this crumbling economy…"

"Well, sometimes opportunity knocks. Listen here, I'll do you a deal. IF- and only if – you graduate with the grade you've just told me, then you get yourself up to McDuck Manor with a two references, one from the head of this place and one from your tutor. IF – and only if – they're satisfactory will I consider – considering you – hiring you."

"Only if?"

"Only if."

Gyro paused and scratched his chin. "So what if my reference aren't up to standard?"

"Then you don't get the job. Simple." Seeing Gyro was still contemplating it, Scrooge hammered the final point home. "Look Gyro, what have you got to lose if you do this, huh? What have you got to lose?"

Gyro thought for a minute before admitting. "Nothing."

"What have you got to gain?"

"A job."

"And with a job comes?"

"A pay check?"

Scrooge banged his cane on the floor. "Paycheck!? A paycheck!? Is that all you young people are interested in nowadays? I'm talking about experience! Experience – laddy – is gold dust! You could be the best mind since Einstein-"

"-I am."

"-If you havn't got the experience to back it up no one will go near you, and that's a fact. Now are you going to show me the way out or not?"

Gyro blinked, bot used to be talked to in that way. Most people tende to leave him alone once he brushed them off. "O-of course sir. One minute." He organised some stuff on his desk before turning back. "This way, Mr McDuck."


End file.
